Hodgson Looking For More Of The Same

9 February 2018

It may seem early to be talking about the run in to the end of the season but ahead of this weekend's match at Everton, Roy Hodgson believes the start of the final 12 matches is a crucial period with so many teams chasing the vital points target.

"It is an early run in but it is certainly a run in and there is no question of that and there are so many teams involved like ourselves in that battle to avoid relegation. I think there will be a lot of twists and turns during this period and the final run in could become very exciting if there are so many teams still involved.

"It’s about having the ability to win two matches in a row because that lifts you enormously up the table so eases a lot of the pressure. Everyone is going to be looking to do that but the only thing is that wins are hard to find if you are not one of the top teams in this league and getting them back to back is even harder."

Hodgson can reflect on a remarkable turn around as at the point of his arrival in September to have 27 points on the board at the beginning of February would have been thought of as some achievement but now the manager knows that more of the same is needed heading into the final 12 of the season.

"It’s been a grind to try and improve our play from the very first moment, it didn’t work in the first three games because four defeats became seven but now in the last 19 games I think we have been fairly consistent. We have had spells where we have won, drawn and lost and to pick up 27 points from those 19 games I think we have worked quite hard to get them but we need to try and keep up that kind of points tally in terms of average points per game in the final 12."

The manager in the opposition dugout on Saturday, Sam Allardyce, like Hodgson joined his club during the season and during his first month he guided them to six league games unbeaten but of late the Toffees have only won one of their last nine in all competitions.

Hodgson is aware how important the slight points advantage for the former Palace boss is but knows his squad have the right attitude needed for them to get out of the relegation battle.

"He (Sam Allardyce) is in a better situation than us because his team has got four more points and that’s a large number and even though it doesn’t sound much when you are at the bottom of the table it takes you quite a few games to assemble four points so he is in a much better situation in that respect and of course he has a much larger squad of players so we are in a less fortunate situation in terms of our personnel at the moment but I think we are like them believing that we have the wherewithal to get ourselves out of the relegation battle and at least survive in the league."